Overdue Conversation
by OptimisticShipper
Summary: Spoilers from the Tartaros Arc and the time skip. Lucy and Natsu reunite but when it's all quiet in Lucy's home, they know they have a conversation that is overdue. Lucy has questions, Natsu has explanations. My version of how the pair would talk about Natsu leaving and the guild disbanding.


_Author Note: Hi, this is my first ever written fanfic! I have read so many over the years and I was truly inspired to give it a go! Please read and review. Any reviews whether negative or positive would be a massive help! I sadly do not own Fairy Tail - Hiro_ Mashima _and his amazing imagination do. Thank you do_ much _for at least reading this far!_

It was a conversation that Lucy and Natsu needed to have. It was long overdue – a year in fact. They had both lost someone that was important to them during the Tartaros battle. Then in the aftermath of the battle they had lost the guild and each other. It is said that the key to a healthy relationship is communication. During this moment of silence between the two wizards, Natsu and Lucy realised how true that statement was. After a year of no communication between them, it had done a lot to strain their relationship. They were both sat in Lucy's apartment in Crocus, hours after their reunion at the Grand Magical Games. Silent and both lost in thought. Neither knew how to start the overdue conversation despite all the questions they had.

Lucy sighed and looked up sadly at Natsu, deciding to break the silence first.

"Why did you leave without a proper goodbye Natsu?" Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Do I not deserve one?"

With his Dragon Slayer hearing, he heard every heart-breaking word. Hastily he replied.

"It wasn't like that Luce! I swear! I just didn't know how to say goodbye to your face without taking you with me. I didn't want to see the sad expression on your face when I told you goodbye."

"You left me when I needed you the most, Natsu." Lucy neither yelled nor screamed, which hurt Natsu more than if she had. Lucy continued. "I'd lost Aquarius and you had lost your dad. I needed you because you would have understood more than anyone! Then the guild disbanded and it left me with no one. You know me better than anyone Natsu. You know that I couldn't live like that. Not after living it for years with my Father." A single tear trickled down Lucy's face. Natsu stood up and paced the room whilst Lucy looked towards the floor.

"I left to get stronger Luce! I wanted to protect the guild. I was too weak when we battled Tartaros! I want to protect everyone and I couldn't! You had to sacrifice Aquarius to save us, Luce! You think I don't know what you sacrificed? You think Loke didn't come and find me, to tell me what had happened during that battle? That you needed me? But I still couldn't face you after finding that out. It just made me more ashamed that I wasn't strong enough!"

Lucy knew the expression Natsu wore now. She's seen it a few times and knew it as well as her own face. It was full of anguish and anger, directed at himself. But also there was the stubborn seriousness that Lucy recognised. He was telling the truth and he wouldn't budge on what he thought was the right thing. Signing once again, Lucy resigned herself to the fact that if Natsu had to make that choice again, it would still be the same one. Instead, she took on a different tact.

"I missed you Natsu" Lucy stated simply. But those three words were not simple to Natsu. They broke him more than he cared to let on. He knew he should apologise but instead his stubbornness wouldn't allow him to.

"Luce, I missed you too. So much. It wasn't the same travelling with just Happy and me. You're a part of our team and it felt like a piece of us was missing the whole time. But I had to leave, I had to get stronger. For the guild, for you, for Igneel but also for me. I failed you all in the Tartaros battle! I couldn't protect you when you lost Aquarius and I couldn't stop Achnologia killing my dad. I didn't expect the guild to be disbanded! If I had known, I wouldn't have left you! I never wanted you to feel like this."

Lucy was shocked, but believed every word, knowing Natsu would never lie about this. His expression was so serious. She had only ever seen this expression whilst in the midst of battle or when a guild member needed a good talking to. But while she believed the words, it didn't stop them from hurting her. She had lost everything to her in those few days. More than she realised at the time of them happening. Only once she was separated from Natsu for a long period of time did she realise how much he actually meant to her. She had realised how cliché she had been to fall for her best friend and teammate. But he and the guild were her everything. Even she mentally eye rolled at how cliché the thought was.

"I… It's not as easy to just forgive and forget Natsu. Don't get me wrong, I forgive you a thousand times over. But I won't forget. I won't forget how I felt the first month of being alone after everyone had left me. I felt the same as a did after mum died. Alone and abandoned." Natsu went to protest but Lucy held her hand up. "Listen to me first, before you protest Natsu. That was the first month. After Jason helped me get back on my feet again, I began to see why you all left. Even if I don't understand all the reasons, I understand that the choice was an individual one for everyone to decide. Sometimes you have to be selfish."

With that, Lucy blushed as she looked Natsu in the eyes. Deciding that this was the best time, whilst Natsu was being so serious and Happy was asleep in her bedroom, she took a deep breath.

"During this past year, I've come to realise just how important you are to me Natsu. Y… you're more than just Namaka to me. I think that… I've fallen in love… with you…"

Lucy blushed a deeper red, realising the words were finally out of her mouth. Knowing she couldn't erase that moment, she looked to the floor awaiting his answer. Natsu sat there, his face still serious, contemplating what to say to a flustered Lucy. A few minutes went by as Lucy fidgeted. Finally, Natsu spoke leaning forward to capture Lucy's attention.

"I know how you feel Luce. And, I feel the same… But now is not the time for us to get into a relationship. Don't get me wrong Luce! I want to be with you, but we have things that need to be done like getting the guild back together. We've both also got these issues that we need to resolve before we can take those steps."

Lucy frowned and hid her eyes under her bangs. She understood but again, it didn't mean the words didn't hurt. But she knew it wasn't a no. It was just a 'later rather than sooner' moment. She sighed again, feeling like she was doing that a lot lately since he came back into her life. As she looked back up to Natsu, she put on her trademark smile to reassure him. As she did this she spoke softly.

"I can wait. For now. Let's go and get our guild back, eh Natsu?"

Natsu grinned, his boyish charm back. Lucy's heart fluttered. Oh, how she had missed that grin!

"I'm all fired up, Luce!"


End file.
